Gastrointestinal stasis

When a guinea pigs’ digestive system is compromized, either due to illness, pain or stress, then their hydration and food intake is likely to be reduced, which can lead to a reduction in gut motility (gastrointestinal (GI) stasis). Gastrointestinal stasis should be treated as an emergency, so you should call your vet immediately if you think your guinea pig is affected.

Guinea pigs are unable to go any significant amount of time without food in their digestive system. If a guinea pig stops eating or reduces its food intake then the gastrointestinal tract will go into stasis or ileus, where it slows down or comes to a complete standstill. This in itself can prove fatal within just a matter of hours.

Guinea pigs require a high-fiber (+25%), moderate protein (12-13%) and low carbohydrate diet in order to maintain optimum gastrointestinal function.

The majority of pet guinea pigs are overfed on concentrated mixes and don’t eat enough hay and grass which should make up the majority of a guinea pigs daily food intake. Added to this, guinea pigs who are fed a mix and pick out their favourite pieces of food, which often contain high levels of sugar and minimal amounts of fiber, often suffer with dental problems and GI stasis episodes. Selective feeding can be prevented by changing your guinea pig onto an extruded nugget type feed that prevents selective feeding. This type of feed is high in fiber and contains the correct amount of protein and carbohydrate in order to maintain good GI tract health.

The average size pet guinea pig should have a small handful of concentrated food, unlimited amounts of hay and grass, and a mound of fresh vegetables the size of their own body each day. Treats, such as those bought from pet shops, should be avoided.

A guinea pig’s digestive system is designed to never be empty and constantly contain food, cecal pellets and hair ingested during grooming. Fur-blockage is still thought, by some veterinarians, to be a primary cause of GI stasis, but in truth it’s normal to find some hair in a guinea pig’s digestive system. Problems occur when the hair dries out due to a decrease in appetite and hydration, and as such, should be treated as a secondary problem due to the stasis, and not a primary cause of stasis.

The colon is responsible for sorting digestible and indigestible fiber. The guinea pig eliminates the indigestible fiber as oval shaped droppings; these have no nutritional value to the guinea pig.

The digestible fiber components are moved into the caecum where microbial digestion takes place.

The digestible fiber is excreted in the form of cecotrophs; small, clumps of smelly droppings covered in mucous. These are usually eaten directly from the anus by the guinea pig and contain amino acids, fatty acids and vitamins B and K, from previously undigested foods. Consumption of the cecal pellets is important for the GI tract and overall health of the guinea pig. The mucous protects the cecal pellets from the acidic pH of the guinea pigs’ stomach.

There are many potential reasons for a guinea pig to reduce or cease eating and drinking, these are just some of the more common causes:

• Dental problems causing pain.
• Illness.
• Not enough fiber in the diet.
• Dehydration.
• Toxins.
• Foreign body.
• Stress from the loss of a partner, a sudden change in diet, a change in the environment or transportation, extreme heat or cold, or being around a predator.

It’s all very well and good treating GI stasis, but the route of the primary cause needs to be identified and addressed to stop the guinea pig suffering from another episode. This may include a thorough dental examination, looking at the guinea pigs housing and social status, examining the diet, and looking back over recent events to see if a stressful occurrence can be identified.

Normally the symptoms will have a gradual onset and you may notice your guinea pig eating slightly less, being slightly less active and perhaps see droppings that are strung together on their hair and producing less droppings.

The symptoms may gradually worsen over the coming week or so, until your guinea pig may completely stop eating and drinking altogether, pass no droppings at all and not wanting to move. Your guinea pig may also grind its teeth in pain.

Sometimes GI stasis will come on suddenly and you will notice that your guinea pig is not eating or passing droppings. This is an emergency and you must take your guinea pig to your veterinarian immediately. Medication, supportive feeding and fluids will need to be started as soon as possible for the best outcome.

Treatment needs to be started immediately and in an aggressive way.

Your guinea pig will be either syringe fed, or an esophageal feeding tube will need to be fitted if the guinea pig is unwilling to take syringe feeds; the aim will be for 20-50 ml/kg per day of food, split into several, regular feeds. Offering tempting foods, such as freshly picked grass, fresh greens and sweet-smelling hay may encourage your guinea pig to begin eating again.

Your veterinarian will prescribe medications to kick-start the GI tract, known as prokinetics, as well as intravenous fluid therapy. Pain relief (analgesia) will also be included in the treatment regime as guinea pigs that are in pain will not eat.

If a blockage of some description is suspected, then this must be ruled out before any prokinetic medications are given.

If the guinea pig is treated at an early stage, ie within a couple of hours of not eating, then the prognosis for recovery is good. If treatment is delayed for a number of hours, then a full recovery is less likely.

Some guinea pigs may need several days of treatment before any improvement is seen, so it’s worth persevering with treatment if the guinea pig can be kept comfortable during its recovery.